The following resolution was passed at the Plenary at WAC-7, and later approved by the Executive Committee. This resolution, which encourages systematic efforts to develop a scholarship of community engaged archaeology, was first proposed by Neel Kamal Chapagain (Nepal) and Michael J Kimball (USA), and derived from a WAC-7 session titled âThe Past is Living in the Present.â

Resolution concerning the relationship of archaeology and archaeologists with extant custodial and affiliated communities The archaeological community increasingly engages with local communities through research and educational activities including public outreach. The World Archaeological Congress supports works presented at various sessions of WAC-7 in Jordan, as well as and institutional attempts such as ICCROMâs Living Heritage Approach, which exemplifies principles, methods, and theoretical frameworks for properly valuing and engaging with unique world views and knowledges possessed by local communities.

These approaches illustrate the vital importance to custodial communities of such world views and knowledges. In recognition of this, WAC encourages systematic efforts to develop a scholarship of community engaged archaeology through which such work can be documented, problematized, and improved with the goal of achieving holistic knowledge, participatory research, sustainable community development and management of archaeological heritage.

BAJR Note [was a small part of these discussions]
I am glad to see the emerging worldwide understadning that archaeology, preservation and support, comes from creating a feeling of working together and engagement where community led archaeology is as important and academicly valid as well. -- if you are in Istanbul this September... then you will be hearing that from a few speakers ( including me again - all part of my badger world tour). If we want support from the public, we have to remember we are the public too. and our professionalism ( no sniggering at the back) does not preclude working and assisting interested local communities to explore their own past.